In Missouri, individuals injured through the negligence or recklessness of others in a personal injury case have the ability to seek compensation for both “tangible damages” and “intangible damages.” We have provided two posts to explain the difference between both types of damages. For more on “tangible damages” or “economic damages” please see our post about these types of damages. “Noneconomic” or “intangible damages” are those things that you cannot show through a medical bill or other objective evidence.

It’s understandable to be confused and angry if you’re the victim in a hit-and-run accident. Car accidents by nature are traumatic experiences; however, if the guilty party decides to vanish and further neglect their responsibilities, it can make the experience much worse.

According to AAA, there are over 700,000 hit-and-run auto collisions every year. As a result, thousands of individuals are injured or lose their lives. In the event of a hit-and-run accident, as a victim, you may be wondering what your next steps are. While the process is a little different than it is when a typical accident has occurred, there is a process in place that will allow you the opportunity to hopefully find the guilty party.

Planning for the holidays can be rather hectic. Decorating, baking, shopping, and spending time with family and friends is a blast, but there’s so much to do! There are so many ways to celebrate this time of year, which is why we’ve taken the time to create the ultimate holiday guide, so you know exactly what Columbia, Missouri has to offer.

In Columbia, there are a number of holiday events to attend, in addition to many shops, restaurants, bars, and Christmas tree farms. Celebrate your holiday season by checking out the places in our guide.

If there’s anything you feel we’re missing, let us know! We’ll be sure to add it.

In Missouri, individuals injured through the negligence or recklessness of others in a personal injury case have the ability to seek compensation for both “tangible damages” and “intangible damages.” “Economic” or “tangible damages” are those things that can be calculated or identified, such as lost wages, lost earning capacity, past medical expenses, and future medical expenses.

We have provided two posts to explain the difference between both types of damages. This is part one of two. For more on “intangible damages” or “non-economic damages” please watch for our post next week.

First off, what are damages? Damages are something an injured person receives, through a settlement or jury verdict, to compensate them for the harms they suffered a result of that injury. In the American civil justice system, we use money to compensate people as damages. Below are the types of “economic” or “tangible damages” you can receive monetary compensation for in a Missouri personal injury case.

You should always notify someone if you are injured on property or premises you do not personally own and ask for an incident report to be made. For instance, if you slip and fall on ice, but don’t think you are injured, you should still notify an employee and ask for an incident report to be completed. If you are engaging in activities on someone’s property and are injured because of an another person’s negligence or recklessness, you should report your injury immediately and ask for an incident report to be made. You should always report the incident and ask for the incident to be documented, even in situations where you don’t feel immediate pain or feel like you were injured!

Some things to consider in addition to making a report: First, look to see if there are any witnesses who saw the incident. Ask for their names and contact information, and ask for that information to be put into the report. Make sure you either ask for a copy of the report, or write down the witnesses’ name, contact information, and a description of what they saw. People are generally helpful and are willing to give you information, and eyewitness testimony is crucial in cases involving a premises injury.

You’ve just been in a car accident and your thoughts are going a mile a minute. You know you need to seek medical attention and talk to the other driver right away. You realize you’re experiencing some pain and think you might have injuries. You’re worried about medical bills and other financial burdens. Now you’re worried even more because you’ve just realized you may have partially caused the accident. What now?

One of the major issues our clients have when they are involved in a car accident is that they have received medical treatment and bills are piling up, or they need additional medical treatment and cannot afford it on their own. There are a few options that people have when they find themselves in this situation. Please note that every situation is unique, so there is not a “one size fits all” approach.

Many people believe that the other side’s insurance company will pay their medical bills as they receive treatment. Unfortunately, that is typically not the case. For more information about why insurers typically won’t pay your medical bills as you treat, please see our blog where we discuss this issue at length. As a result of not having health insurance or having some insurance company pay your bills, you are left in a terrible financial decision while you’re trying to get better.

In these situations, though, our firm gets hard to work looking at a few things. First, we see if you have any medical payments (medpay) coverage available under your own automobile insurance that may cover past or future medical bills. If you have medpay coverage available, then we work with your insurance company to make sure that you get all of the insurance proceeds you are entitled to and have paid a premium for.

If you were injured in a car accident, you should know that most automobile insurance companies will not pay your medical bills while you treat. In other words, if you are currently treating for your injuries and are sending the other insurance company your bills, it’s rare for the other insurance company to pay your bills “as you go.”

Instead, what the other side’s insurance adjuster will want is a full and complete medical history from you (through a HIPAA Authorization), access to your private medical history (even for things completely unrelated to your injuries), and will want to obtain all of your medical bills before they agree to reimburse you and compensate you for any medical bills that you have sustained as a result of an injury from a car accident. Even if the other side’s insurance company agrees to eventually pay your medical bills, they will want to do so only when you are ready to settle your case completely. Oftentimes, this is not possible when you are receiving your medical treatment.

When we face an illness or injury, we put our trust in medical professionals to help diagnose and treat us, so we can recover and return to our lives as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, there are instances where we leave the care of a hospital in worse shape than when we arrived. When this happens, and it is the fault of a medical professional, it’s called medical malpractice.

Medical malpractice occurs much too often in the United States. The errors that result are currently listed as the third-leading cause of death, right after heart disease and cancer. These errors are almost always the result of human error, which means they should almost always be preventable.

Keep reading to learn about why medical malpractice occurs, and what you can do in the event you or a loved one is a victim.

After a car accident, you’re probably thinking about what you need to do next. What you might not be thinking of, however, is what you should not be doing. You’ll want to avoid certain actions after a car accident in order to improve your recovery time, avoid implicating yourself, and get the best possible settlement.

1) Do Not Leave the Scene

Regardless of how minor the car wreck may be, it’s imperative you stay at the scene of the accident until you check on the other party involved, exchange the proper information, and report the event to law enforcement. If you do not do these things, you’re committing a crime and could be charged with a hit-and-run.

If you leave the scene of an auto accident you can be charged with a misdemeanor and a fine– depending on the outcome of the crash. You may also have to serve a sentence of jail time.

Reviews

Mike and his staff did an incredible job with my personal injury case. Will be recommending to anyone I know that would find themselves in my circumstance.

John Fisher

14:55 03 Apr 18

Mike Campbell is an inspiration to trial lawyers. I've known Mike for 3 years and as a fellow plaintiffs' lawyer, I have been very impressed by Mike's integrity, honesty and skills as a trial lawyer. Mike is simply a decent, caring and compassionate person and someone I enjoy being around.If you get the chance to hire Mike Campbell, you can be rest assured that you've made an excellent choice.

Olivia Moses

21:03 22 Mar 18

Mike is an incredible attorney and very helpful. I definitely recommend! I had a great experience and am so thankful for his help.

Gary Burger

19:34 06 Mar 18

Mike and his team are great lawyers who fight hard for their clients and obtain great results. I highly recommend them.

Guy DiMartino

00:33 21 Feb 18

Mike is an excellent attorney and my referral source in the Columbia area. If you have the need for a criminal defense lawyer or if you’ve been injured in an accident, don yourself a favor and contact Mike.

Nathan S.

22:27 11 Jan 18

I highly recommend Mike as an attorney. He is honest, trustworthy and responsive.

Ryan Stephens

21:15 15 Sep 17

Knowledgeable, eager, dedicated, and friendly are a few words I'd use to describe the experience in working with Mike. Not only is he extremely good at what he does, but Mike is also personable and professional.

DJ mixon

22:29 21 Mar 17

Helped me with My traffic case and did a great job. Felt like he really had my best interest in mind. 10/10 would call on Mike Campbell

Patrick Campbell

00:41 22 Jun 16

Very professional. Fantastic at what he does. Will go the extra mile for you when a lot of lawyers won't. If I could rate over 5 stars I would.